Patent · US Active

System and method for fraud detection by low flow rate monitoring at a fuel dispenser

US8444014B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
17References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 16, 2009
Grant dateMay 21, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 3, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01F15/007
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A system and method of detecting fuel theft at a fuel dispenser. The system has a fluid flow meter, a pulser operatively coupled to said fluid flow meter, and a control system in electrical communication with the pulser. The control system is configured to calculate a flow rate of fuel being dispensed from a gasoline dispenser during a single dispensing transaction. The flow rate is sampled at predetermined time intervals during the single dispensing transaction. The system then compares the sampled flow rates to a predetermined flow rate pattern indicative of potential fraud. A shutoff signal is then provided to the dispenser to stop fuel flow through the dispenser if the sampled flow rates are substantially similar to the predetermined pattern.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.